Japan’s Ruling LDP, Largest Opposition CDPJ Agree to Hold Party Leader Debate on Wednesday; Length of Time Still Undecided

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:32 JST, October 5, 2024

The Liberal Democratic Party and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan agreed Friday to hold a party leaders’ debate on Wednesday, when the current extraordinary Diet session will end.

Opposition parties demanded more substantive debate at the Diet’s budget committees before the dissolution of the House of Representatives for a general election. But they have compromised with the LDP on condition that the debate’s length be increased from the usual 45 minutes.

The LDP and the CDPJ are continuing discussions over how long the debate should last. While some LDP lawmakers have proposed to make it one hour long, opposition parties insist that it should be at least two hours.

In June, discussing the length of debates, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba wrote on his blog, “At least two hours should be secured.”

Four major opposition parties, including the CDPJ, agreed at a meeting of their Diet affairs committee chiefs to demand it should be at least two hours. Takashi Endo of the Japan Innovation Party said, “[Ishiba] must follow through with what he said.”

The Diet affairs committee chiefs in the House of Councillors of the LDP and the CDPJ have confirmed that a question-and-answer session by party representatives will be held on Tuesday.